King Lears View of Himself Essay - 850 Words

King Lears View of Himself King Lear is a play all about the cruelty of human nature and the ways in which all people, good and bad, can sin, or be sinned against. Lear is a very difficult character to categorise as either good or bad as he is both sinned against and sinning. It is also very difficult to use these sins as a measure of his character as they a varying in severity. When we first meet Lear he is in the process of dividing his kingdom into three, preparing to hand it to his three daughters. This is a sin, as according to The Divine Right of Kings, each monarch is chosen by God, and is there fore answerable to none but him. Having been chosen by God to rule, it†¦show more content†¦Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave My heart into my mouth: I love your majesty According to my bond; no more nor less. Cordelia speaks honestly and sensibly, but by doing so she injures Lears pride, and for this she is disinherited. And when the Kings most trusted advisor takes Cordelias side, the Lear is forced to banish him also to save face. So far Lear appears more sinning than sinned against. His two eldest daughters both lie about their love for him in order to claim their inheritance. Goneril claims; Sir, I love you more than word can ever wield the matter To which her sister, Regan, agrees; I am made of the same mettle as my sister Neither of the two can state a legitimate reason for their love, one claiming that words cannot describe her love, and the other simply agrees. However, I feel that they can be forgiven this sin, as their father had left them with little choice, as is shown by his mistreatment of Cordelia. This must be counted as a sin against the King, as Goneril and Regan did lie with vicious intent. Considering that the daughters sin stemmed from that of the father, we must still consider Lear the greater sinner at this point. Having divided his kingdom, Lear intends to stay with his daughters. This may be considered as imposing on the girls, but Lear is left with very little choice, as heShow MoreRelatedLear and Family Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance of Family Family is what defines ones character and identity. Shakespeares tragic play, King Lear, presents a ruling family and how its members relationships affect one another. The crumbling relationship between King Lear and his daughters exemplifies his struggle to maintain his role in his family and his identity within the state. Lear explains that human nature is marked by a desire for more than just the necessities one already has. Lear needs more than theRead MoreEssay on Lears Character in William Shakespeares Play1216 Words   |  5 PagesLears Character in William Shakespeares Play The view of Lear being bent on his own destruction from the beginning of the play is an acceptable claim. 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